Another day of rest gives Parker's ankle more time

SAN ANTONIO — For the second day in a row, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich scheduled no organized team activities Monday in the calm before the start of the NBA Finals on Thursday.

That does not mean there was not important work going on.

All-Star point guard Tony Parker continued his regimen of rest and rehabilitation on the left ankle sprain that knocked him out of the second half of the Spurs' Western Conference-clinching victory at Oklahoma City on Saturday.

The Spurs' leading scorer and assist man, Parker is expected to play in Game 1 against Miami on Thursday. How effective he might be remains to be seen.

“He gave it a try in the first half, but he wasn't what we needed him to be to attack them,” guard Manu Ginobili said. “Just being there is not enough. You've got to be there, be physical, attack, push it — and he wasn't ready to do it. So Pop pulled the plug on him.”

It marks the second consecutive series Parker will begin amid injury concerns. He missed the second half of the 104-82 victory over Portland that clinched the conference semifinal series on May 14 with a strained hamstring.

Parker averaged 15 points and seven assists through the first three games of the OKC series before turning his ankle in Game 4. He played through the injury in the Spurs' Game 5 win, with 14 points and four assists in 26 minutes, but could not finish Game 6.

You want it, you got it: When Tim Duncan told a national audience after Game 6 in OKC the Spurs were pleased to draw a Finals rematch with the Heat, LeBron James was listening.

“They don't like us. They don't,” the four-time MVP told reporters in Miami on Monday. “I can sense it from Timmy's comments over the last couple of days.”

Asked about returning to the Finals after squandering last season's series against Miami, Duncan said: “We're happy it's the Heat. We've got that bad taste in our mouths still.”

“They wanted this, they wanted us and we'll be ready for the challenge,” James said.

Speaking of Tim: James has logged 621 victories over the past 10 years, second most in the NBA over that span.

The only player with more? Duncan, who has registered 622 wins.

Ratings gold: The broadcast of the Spurs' series against OKC averaged 6.8 million viewers on TNT, up 39 percent from last year's conference final between the Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies.

TNT captured the top audience across cable television for each game night of the six-game series, despite five of them being blowouts.